Loose-leaf binder.



E .B. BUGHAN. LOOSE LEAP BINDER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1911.

1,027,523. Patented May 28; 191.2. V

UNTTED ,sT-ATEs PATENT oEEicE.

ELMER E. BUCHAN, or" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, '1912.

Application filed November 23, 1911. Serial No. 661,914.

plicable to a large variety of books, vary-v ing greatly in size anduse. Books of this character consist of a cover or binder and a sheaf orpacket of leaves provided with perforations or slits which are engagedby retaining means usually secured to the back of the cover. lDifficulty has been experienced heretofore either in yinserting theleaves in the retainer and securing them in position or in holding themin position after they have been engaged by the retaining means, 'and atthe same time providing for their ready removal either in regular order,as for filing, or singly as occasion may require.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple device of thischaracter in which the above, difficulties are met and overcome, andwhich may be manufactured at moderate cost.` y

With this object in view, my invention consists in the construction setforth in the followingclaims, and a preferred form of which is shown inthe accompanying drawings and described in the specification. It will beunderstood, however, that the specic disclosure is for the purpose ofillustration only, and the invention is not limited thereto, as manymodifications will suggest themselves which come withinV the scope ofthe claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferredform ofembodiment,- Figure 1 is a perspective of a loose leaf binder with coverin open position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan, one of thesecuring devices being shown partially in section; Fig. 3 is an enlargedsection on the line 3-3 of Fig..2; Fig. t is an enlarged perspective ofa detail; Fig. 5 is a central section of the retaining device; Figs. 6and v7 are perspective fragmentary views illustrating a slightmodification.

The cover or binder 6 may be of any usual or preferred form, and,as'shown, consistsk of a facing 7 and a stiifening member 8.

To the latter is secured a sheet metal strip 9 by means of a staple 10.Ateither end the sheet metal strip is bent up to' form a standard 11 ofsubstantially circular form, which is perforated at 12 to receive theend of a shaft or lrod 13, the outer ends of which kmay be slightlyupset to secure it against displacement. At one end the rod is providedwith a small collar or annulus 14 rigidly secured thereto, and at the`other with a small finger wheel or disk 15, the edge of which isknurled to facilitate its rotation by the lingers. At suitable pointsalong therod or shaft are arranged the retaining members proper, and inthe present instance Iy have shown two such members 16, 16 consistingeach ofa central disk or web 17, 17 surrounded by a ring or annulus 18,18 which preferably extends equally upon opposite sides of the disk,though this is not essential. Each ring is split or open at one point inits periphery, as at 19, for the insertion of the loose leaves, and theweb is slightly notched, at 20, in registry with the slit to facilitatethis operation. The web forms a support for the flange, and, as shown,is imperforate, but obviously may be of skeleton or other suitable form.Opposite or in register with one of the retaining devices a ribl 21 isstruck up from the support 9, and is adapted to enter the slit in thering when the latter is `turned to Vbring thefslit and rib opposite eachother.

The structure is suiiicient-ly resilient to per- Vmit the ring to beturned notwithstanding this engagement, when suflicient force is broughtto bear by the fingers turning the disk L5. During this rotation the ribacts as a brake to hold the ring in any position to which-it may beadjusted.

The loose sheets are provided at suitable points along one edge withslits 22, 22 for receiving the flanges of the retaining devices yfromthe slits to the edge of the paper to accommodate the central disks orwebs. It will be obvious that in order to insert the sheets in thebinder, the openings lin the iianges, which, it should be stated, areinalinement with each other, are turned .away from the support whichnormally closes them, and the leaves inserted therein, a number ofleaves being inserted at the same time, depending upon the widthof theslot or opening. When` a suiiicient pack of leaves has been engaged bythe flanges, the retaining devices are turned until the rib upon thesupport engages the slot in the flange which is in register therewith.The retaining devices are thus secured with the openings closed by thesupport, and the binder is then ready for use. The leaves will be firmlyheld in position as long as required, yet they may be easily removed,either singly or in groups, by turning the retainers to open position.If it is desired to remove 'a single leaf located intermediate the topor bottom of the pack, it may be readily detached by a pull, theretaining ears of the sheet in engagement with the flanges yielding forthis purpose.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the support 9, shaft 13,retaining member 16, and manipulating disk 15 are as described inconnection with the form of device shown in,the remaining figures. Ihave added, however, a cover strip 24 which is superposed upon the strip9, and the edges of which are turned down and under, as shown at 25(Fig. 7) to embrace the lateral edges of the strip 9. The cover strip iscut out in the form of the letter H, as at 26 (see particularly Fig. 7to receive the retaining members, the webs of which occupy thetransverse slots 27, and the flanges the side slots 28, as will bereadily understood from an inspection of Fig. 6. The package of leavesrests upon this cover plate when in use, and the tongues 29 of thelatter eX- tend within the flanges and cover the slots therein when thelatter are in the closed position.

What I claim is:

l. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a rotary shaft, a ring axiallymounted thereon and having a slit for engaging loose leaves, and meansengaging in the slit for locking the ring against rotation.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a ring rotatively mounted in thesupport, and having a slit to receive loose leaves, and a web within thering.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a disk mounted thereon forrotation, an annular member surrounding the disk and having an openingfor the insertion of loose leaves.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a sheet metal support, a disk rotativelymounted thereon and having a slotted flange, and a rib struck up fromthe support to engage the slot in the flange.

5. In a loose leaf binder, a sheet metal support adapted to be securedto the back thereof, end standards struck up from the support, a shaftjournaled in the standards, disks mounted upon the shaft, annularflanges surrounding the disks and provided with openings for theinsert-ion of loose leaves.

6. In a loose leaf binder, a sheet metal support, end standards struckup therefrom, a shaft journaled in the standards, a finger wheel forrotating the shaft, a plurality of disks rigidly secured to the shaft,annular flanges surrounding the disks and projecting on opposite sidesthereof and having openings for the insertion of leaves.

7. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a disk revolubly mounted thereon,a flange on the disk having a transverse opening therein, a series ofleaves each having a slot .and a notch receiving the flange and diskrespectively.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a supporting strip 9 having standards at theends thereof, a shaft journaled in the standards, disks upon the shafthaving transversely slitted flanges, a cover plate secured to the strip9 and projecting within the fianges on the disks to cover the slotstherein when the retainers are in closed position.

9. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a shaft rotatively mountedthereon, a ring having an opening for the insertion of the leaves andrigidly mounted on the shaft in combination with leaves each having aslot and a notch from the slot to the margin of the leaf, the slotsbeing positioned to engage the ring and the notches to receive theconnection from the ring to the shaft whereby the ring may be completelyrotated notwithstanding the presence of the leaves.

l0. In a loose leaf binder, a support, a lrotary shaft mounted thereon,split rings carried by the shaft, and means connected to the support andbearing upon one of the rings and adapted to secure the latter againstaccidental displacement.

ELMER E. BUCHAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. MACAULEY, ROBERT DOBBERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

